Just a Shell
by Emxxx
Summary: What if Gibbs opened the body bag..... Out of character, but I like it, I'm really bad at summarys, I was 2am and I was crying and this is what came out... No idea how or why, but try it? Judgment Day spoilers D Please review?


Hey guys, I'm not sure where this came from, but I was thinking, what if he opened the bag???

No I do not own NCIS D=

**NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~ NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~ NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs stood in autopsy with Duck, gazing at the body bag which lay on the table. She was gone, never coming back, at first he had been furious at Tony and Ziva, but he had been swallowed with the most terrible grief and understood that if the pairs emotions were a fraction of his own they didn't need anger on top of that as well. And deep down he knew it wasn't their fault. Ducky put a hand to his friend shoulder, collected Jimmy Palmer, who wasn't at all close to the director, in fact, he had barely even stood in the same room as the woman, was still very shaken. Together the medical examiner and his assistant left autopsy. Gibbs allowed his hands to move to the zip of the bag, fiddling with it, wondering if he should do it, not thinking about it he pulled it down to her chest, his eyes falling on her pale, lifeless face. No one had bothered to close her eyes, she lay staring up at the ceiling, staring but she would never see, her once glistening, happy, bright green eyes were now just a dull orbs. Her face had a few splashed of blood on it, he slowly looked away, but was drawn back, he continued to open the bag, soon she was completely un covered, Gibbs was unsure how to react, but soon a string of glistening tears rolled down his cheek. She was gone.

He bent down and gently placed on arm under her knees and the other behind her head, and picked her up, cradling her in his arms he sat down on the cold autopsy table. She was still covered in blood, some hers, some belonged to the people she killed to save him. His Jen, not Jenny, not Jennifer, Jen, he was the only person to call her that, but to him it was the only fitting name, Jenny was too girly, Jennifer was too formal, Jen, his Jen.

Tears were now cascading down his cheeks into her scarlet hair, he didn't care she would have died anyway, he could have been there for her, holding her hand, loving and holding her, instead she had died, alone on the floor of a grimy diner with only the bodies of the enemy for comfort, the knowledge she had saved him, making up for a mistake she had made.

'Jen, why didn't you tell me?' His voice was rough from crying, his breaths were uneven, but he needed an answer begging her lifeless corpse for an answer, one he knew he could never get.

He stood up again and placed her back on her table, not ready to say goodbye yet, he wrapped her in his coat, not liking to see the blood on her body, beautiful even in death. Never taking his eyes off her he moved to the sink, drenching his sleeve in warm water, he walked back to her and began washing the blood off her face, slowly the blood began to leave her face, instead staining his sleeve. Once she was clean he looked to Ducky's table, seeing a pair of scissors he quickly left her body and cut off a large lock of her hair. He pulled a gold engagement ring out of his pocket and threaded the hair through it, there was just enough to keep it in place.

He bent down and placed a gentle kiss to her cold, lifeless lips, hoping that it may bring her back to life, it was a stupid hope, as his hand, pressed to where her heart was could feel the dip of a bullet hole. Gibbs pulled away, using two fingers he pushed her eyelids over her eyes, pressing a tender kiss to each eyelid, he stepped back and grasped her hand for only a few seconds before letting it fall to her side.

'I'm sorry Jen,' he mumbled as he walked away, out the autopsy doors stopping to turn around and press his still crying face against the glass, 'I love you Jennifer Sheppard.' He whispered, wishing he could have told her that earlier. He walked to the elevator, looking back over his shoulder at her again and again.

He was still crying when he reached Abby's lab, knowing that's where his family would be, they needed to see it was ok to cry and he needed to see them, his only remaining family. He walked through the door silently, his tears were slowing, he saw them all bunched around the computers which were showing different pictures of her, slowly the turned around. Abby started to cry, McGee pulled her into a hug, a single tear slipping down his face, Tony looked at the floor, feeling his bosses tears were his fault, Ducky let out a strangled sob, and Ziva's face which was red and puffy from already crying filled with grief, she stepped forward and hugged him, Gibbs slumped against her, tears making her shirt damp.

Ducky moved over to them, wrapping an arm around each of his friends, Abby pulled her and Tim over, they quickly joined trying to comfort each other but most of all their boss and father. Tony stood watching tears streaming down his face, needing so much to be with his family but being too ashamed to move towards them, Ziva reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him over. They stood in silence. Silence which was only broken by sobs. Ducky grimaced and cleared his throat,

'We need to cherish our memories of Jennifer, that is what keeps her alive. Remember what we bury tomorrow, if we continue to remember our friend and love,' he paused and looked at Gibbs, who was also grimacing and crying harder than before 'is just a shell.'


End file.
